This invention provides an improved kayak cockpit cover for sealing the cockpit in a kayak of the type having a closed deck with a cockpit opening which accommodates a sitting or kneeling paddler. While the invention relates to kayaks of all types, it is particularly suited to "squirt" kayaks, which are very low volume whitewater kayaks that are designed to be fully submerged at times to experience subsurface currents and turbulence in rivers and streams. Because squirt kayaks have a very low volume and minimal buoyancy, an efficient cockpit seal is a matter of great concern, as even a small amount of water in the boat can affect trim, performance and safety.
A cockpit cover or spray skirt is commonly used to seal the cockpit opening around a kayak paddler so that water will not enter the boat while it is navigated through turbulent water conditions. The cover will generally include a fitted waist closure which seals around the paddler's waist, an adjoining planar section of waterproof fabric covering the cockpit opening, and an elasticized edge on the outside of the planar section which engages a raised rim that is formed as a part of the boat deck. Whitewater kayak cockpits are generally oval-shaped, and most cockpit rims are of the type having a slight vertical projection above the deck and an outward-extending lip which retains the edge of the spray skirt. A typical kayak cockpit cover is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,480.
The prior art spray skirts, retained on a conventional kayak rim by the tension of an elasticized skirt edge have several inherent deficiencies. First is the problem of water leakage between the skirt and rim, especially under extreme conditions. Water will leak into the kayak where the skirt fabric is not in firm contact with the rim. An area of potential leakage is created where the skirt material becomes bunched or puckered because of the circumferential elastic tension. Also, any discontinuity or deterioration in the elastic material retaining the skirt can cause the skirt to leak. In addition, the area of the seal between the skirt and the rim will be subject to shifts and changes in contact pressure due to the movement of the boater in the boat, and leaking may occur when the cockpit is exposed to large waves or submerged in strong currents.
A second problem with use of the prior art kayak skirt and rim is that kayak design possibilities are restricted. A conventional kayak rim must be circular or oval in shape so that the circumferential pressure of the stretched elastic skirt edge will be evenly distributed. A rim shape using a compound curve or an inside curvature will cause an area of non-contact between the skirt and rim, since the elastic edge of the skirt will follow the shortest distance around rim and bridge across the inside curve. This limitation has been encountered in the design of squirt kayaks where use of a narrow elongated cockpit design can provide increased emergency escapability and boater comfort. Squirt boats are susceptible to underwater pinning, and the elongated cockpit design could avoid entrapment of the paddler's lower legs and allow emergency egress from a submerged kayak. In addition, the fabric cover of an elongated cockpit will provide an area within the confines of the boat where the paddler's feet and legs can be moved while the paddler remains seated. An elongated cockpit design is not practical using the prior art, and many other design possibilities are similarly precluded by the prior art limitations.
A third deficiency which arises from the use of a raised cockpit rim and conventional spray skirt is that the rim itself will interfere with water flowing over the deck of the kayak. This is another matter of particular applicability to squirt kayaks in which it is desireable to have maximum maneuverability while the boat is briefly submerged. An uninterrupted deck surface will provide greater stability as the boat is guided through turbulent water conditions.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a kayak cockpit cover or spray skirt and method of installation which will attain a much higher waterproofing standard than the kayak cockpit covers of the prior art secured by an elastic edge to a raised rim.
Another important object of this invention is to provide a cockpit cover which can be adapted to cockpit shapes and deck configurations other than the flat oval cockpit opening necessitated by use of a conventional spray skirt held in place by circumferential elastic tension.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a cockpit opening and cockpit cover which are nearly flush with the adjacent deck surface and which will allow the kayak to be more hydrodynamically stable when submerged in strong river currents.